Here Without You
by HollandMarie
Summary: What would happen if the Erasers never found the Flock? What if they never left their home in the mountains? Rated T for Faxness. :D  -ON HOLD. Y'know, writer's block.-
1. Chapter 1

Okay!  
My first Maximum Ride fan fiction.

:D

So... Basically, they never left their home in the mountains.

The characters are:

Max-15

Fang-15

Iggy-15

Nudge-12

Gazzy-9

Angel-7

I don't own Maximum Ride. *sighs*

* * *

Just another day. Nothing out of the ordinary (Not that our lives are very ordinary to begin with). Well, not at first, at least.

"Morning Max!" Angel said, throwing open my door and dancing toward my bed.

Yesh, every heard of knocking?

"No, I haven't." She said smugly, hopping onto my bed.

I rolled my eyes. "Some people like to sleep in on Sundays."

"Well, Iggy said breakfast's done. Come on, everyone's waiting!" With that, she jumped out of bed and danced out.

"That kid's gonna be the death of me," I murmured, swinging my legs out from the warmth of my bed, onto the cold hardwood floor.

_**But you still love her.**_

What is that? Are you saying normal people don't have voices in their head?

_**Good morning to you, too, Voice**__._ See, the problem is, you can't really use sarcasm in your own mind. Which defeated the purpose of the above thought.

Forcing myself to get out of bed, I groggily walked to the bathroom. After effectively waking myself up with the aid of cold water, I pulled a brush through my hair.

"Morning guys." I murmured, grabbing a plate of food and plopping down into my seat at the kitchen table.

"Morning Max!" The Gasman said enthusiastically, munching on a piece of bacon. I smiled at him, messing up his shaggy blond hair.

Looking around at my family, I felt a pang of pride. I've known them all majority of their lives, all the way back to when we lived in cages at The School.

None of us had known what a real family was like, but I guess this was the closest we would ever get. Unless you count Je- I cast a glance to Angel and sighed in relief. Good, she hadn't caught me.

We didn't talk about _**him**__._ It was too painful.

But, anyway, we _**were**_ a family. Probably closer than that. We all shared a brother-sister bond, but to me it was more. I was the closest thing any of them every had to a mother.

Sadly, that was the closest any of us could get to a _**real**_ one of those too.

I felt an all-too familiar presence behind me, and I whipped around in my seat.

"Fang! Will you stop sneaking up like that!" I screeched, my heart pounding a mile a minute.

"You call that sneaking?" He said sarcastically with one of his world-famous half-smiles.

I rolled my eyes, turning back to my breakfast.

_**You need to learn to relax**__. _Thank you, Mr. Voice In My Head.

_**Who asked you? You're just a disembodied voice**__._ I replied, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of toast.

_**Finish your breakfast and get dressed**__._ The Voice commanded.

_**Why?**_ My head was starting to pound. The last thing I needed was some wild goose hunt, courtesy of the voices in my head.

Oh, God, that alone could get me committed. Not to mention the wings....

_**Just listen.**_

Not like I wanted to, but The Voice could be pretty helpful sometimes, so I did as told. In twenty minutes I was dressed in khaki cargo capris and a white t-shirt.

_**Go to the computer.**_

What computer? Surely it didn't mean Je- _**His**_ computer?  
_**That's exactly what I mean.**_

I sighed, turning on the computer. We hadn't so much as entered His office since... Well, not in the last three years.

_**Google **_**Dr. Valencia Martinez****.**_** Click the third link.**_

Okay... Why was The Voice having me Google random-I looked at the page- veterinarians?

I looked around the page, my gaze falling onto the address.

_**Go there.**_

_** But it's in Arizona? How do you honestly expect me to get **_**there?**

_**You can fly, can't you?**_ God, I hate that Voice sometimes. _**You want to meet your mother, don't you?**_ On second thought....

I could practically hear The Voice pat itself on its nonexistent back.

Let's just say the thought of finding my mom made my mind up immediately.

By sunset, I had my bag packed.

"Are you sure you have to go?" Gazzy whined for the hundredth time.

"Yeah, why do you have to leave?" Nudge added. I hadn't told anyone why I suddenly had to make a cross-country trip. 'Cause that would be too easy, wouldn't it.

Of course, Angel knew. I just hoped she wouldn't tell anyone.

"Yeah. Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." Unless the Erasers get me first.

I hugged everyone and said my goodbyes, before realizing that Fang was nowhere to be found.

"He said he'd be back in an hour." Angel told me.

"Okay..." I couldn't really understand why he would leave, on his own, when he knew I was leaving too? "Guess I'll see him when I get home..."

After another round of goodbyes, I shut the door behind me. Standing in the last rays of sunlight, I unfurled my wings, enjoying the feel of the wind in my feathers.

"Max."

I automatically dropped into a fighting stance, turning to face the source of the voice.

"Oh, Fang. You really have to stop doing that." I stood straight up again, smiling a little at my reaction.

"So... You're leaving?" He asked. I nodded.

Up until two years ago, I had well surpassed him in the height department. But then he shot past me, when we were both about thirteen, give or take. Now I had to look up at him.

"Okay... Um... Goodbye, then." he said, moving his head in such a way that his shaggy black hair moved out of his eyes.

"Goodbye." I murmured.

I was about to turn away from him when his lips met mine.


	2. Chapter 2

Ooh, Chapter Two! :)

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the first one. It makes me look like this- :D

I don't own Maximum Ride... Yet.

Mwahahahahaha! *lightening streams across the otherwise blue sky*

Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter Two

I stood, rigid with shock. What was Fang doing?!  
I'd never thought of him as anything more than a brother, my best friend. My right wing man.

Did he think of me differently?

I broke away from him, casting my glance to the ever-darkening sky.

"Goodbye," I said shakily, flexing my wings and getting a running start before jumping into the sky.

My lips were still tingling.

* * *

Fang watched her fly off with a heavy heart.

"Look what you've done now," He cursed at himself, kicking a rock.

Why had he done that? Because he was an idiot, that's why.

But there was something else....

He loved her. More than as a sister, more than a member of the Flock.

Fang hadn't even been aware of just how much he loved her until then.

Now he was certain.

He was in love with her.

* * *

We bird kids all have a perfect sense of direction, which basically allowed me to switch to autopilot. And also allowed a lot of time for me to think.

Which would normally be a good thing.

This was one of the rare times it wasn't.

I couldn't say I wasn't _angry__. _I was, in a way. Why had Fang done that? Why couldn't we just stay like we always had been?

Why did he have to go screw it all up?

The last thing I wanted in life was a boyfriend. Especially Fang.

The Flock came first. Only once they were safe and all that could I focus on my personal life. That's always been my moto.

But I also can't say it wasn't somewhat.... _pleasant._

Okay, I'm officially insane. Bring on the straitjacket.

There's no way I could love Fang. Ever.

And there's no way he loved me. Could Fang even love? He barely even smiled. Not counting that half-smile thing he does sometimes, but an actual, teeth showing, smile. Never.

This was all way too confusing for a fifteen year old girl.

After a few hours in the air, I stopped for a mid flight snack, courtesy of the dumpster behind McDonald's.

Judging by the sun, it was almost eight when I reached my destination: A veterinary hospital.

Was this some kind of joke? A vet. Haha, very funny, Voice. What next? I'm suddenly going to feel the urge to use a statue as a bathroom?

Okay, irony set aside, what exactly was I supposed to do? Walk into this Dr. Martinez's office and ask her, "Do you happen to have a daughter that's part bird?"

Finding no other option, I actually did.

My baggy hoodie covered my wings pretty well, but still I was nervous as I walked toward the receptionist's desk.

"May I help you?" She asked politely.

"Um.. Yeah. Is Dr. Martinez in today?" I focused intently on keeping my wings close to my back.

"Yes. Do you have an appointment?" She eyed me curiously.

_Think fast._ Well, duh, Voice. "Uh, no. I was hoping on interviewing her for my school newspaper." Schools had those, right? I think they did.

"Okay, well you'll have to make an appointment. May I have your name?"

"Um..." I wracked my brain for an alias. "Faith Matthews."

"Okay, just a second," She dialed a number on the phone, and I could hear the dial tone.

"Hello?" I could easily hear the woman on the other side.

The receptionist murmured my "name" and some other information.

"Send her up."

The receptionist hung up, looking slightly distraught, and motioned for me to walk down a hall.

I found my way easily, taking a deep breath before opening the door marked: DR. Valencia Martinez.

Inside, a woman smiled at me from the desk.

"Welcome, Max." Only it wasn't the woman speaking.


	3. Chapter 3

Okay...

Chapter Three.

:)

I don't own Maximum Ride. However, I do own pudding.

*nom nom*

Never mind.

* * *

Chapter Three

Jeb Batchelder had been one of the Whitecoats, A.K.A. the scientists back at the School. Five years ago, he had helped us escape, taking us to live with him in the mountains.

He was the closest thing I've ever had to a father.

But he was dead. We all knew it. When he hadn't come home three years ago, we all knew.

So how was it that he was right in front of me at that very moment?

"J-Jeb?" I gasped, my eyes threatening to overflow with tears.

He nodded, smiling at me. "Maximum Ride. How good it is to see you," He hugged me, bringing back memories of my childhood: Learning to fight, learning to how to read. Attempts (and fails) to teach me how to cook.

This couldn't be Jeb. Not here, not now.

"It's really me, Max." He said, as if reading my mind.

That didn't really cut it for me, though. I looked at him sceptically.

"Perhaps I should explain," he said, gesturing to a table with several of those swirly chairs around it. "Dr. Martinez, would you please join us?" He said slightly louder, looking to the woman at the desk.

Sure enough, the woman stood up, and I assumed she was the doctor herself. She had dark brunette hair and a smile on her face.

"Hello, Max," She said warmly.

"Okay, let's just skip the small talk," I said, turning back to Jeb, who was now seated in one of the above-mentioned chairs, "How are you _alive?_"

Jeb took a deep breath, once again motioning for me to take a seat across the table from him and Dr. Martinez, who was now sitting next to him.

I shook my head, crossing my arms across my chest. "Now." I growled.

"Fine. The School is looking for you." Jeb said.

In that instant, everything went into slow motion.

The scientists back at The School had kindly given us bird kids excellent senses; Keen hearing, raptor vision.

And, at that very moment, I caught a flicker of motion in the corner of my eye. I swung around, only to find myself face-to-face with one of my worst nightmares. Literally.

Many a night have I awoken in a cold sweat, after nightmares of running from the School's personal security dogs. Erasers.

"Long time, no see, Max." It growled, before swinging for my head. I ducked at the last second, its claw running over my forehead. My vision blurred with the warm goo of my own blood.

I wiped it away with my sleeve, pushing the pain to the back of my mind. I assessed my situation: Three hulking Erasers, who had busted through the window, were attempting to corner me.

Only one whole in their plan: I could fly.

Unfurling my wings, I climbed onto the table, counting to three before jumping up, over the Erasers. That was the idea, anyway.

Instead, one of them, the first one, grabbed my foot. I tried to kick it free, but he succeeded in pulling me to the ground.

"Play time's over. Now it's time to get back to School." He said, clubbing me over the head.

Then everything went black.


End file.
